Aleksandr Malykhin, chairman of Luhansk's separatist election commission, announces results of the referendum in the Luhansk region on May 12.

Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)

May 12, 2014 06:30 CET

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-- Self-appointed leaders of the Ukrainian separatist region of Donetsk appealed to Russia to consider absorbing it to "restore historic justice" and to send in troops.

-- Pro-Russian separatists in the eastern Ukrainian region of Luhansk said they would not allow voting for the May 25 presidential election to be conducted.

-- Diplomats say the European Union agreed to impose sanctions against 13 additional individuals and two companies, believed to be the first time the EU has targeted companies over the Ukraine crisis.

-- Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov called the votes a "sham" and the United States said they were illegal and merely "an attempt to create further division and disorder in the country."

-- RFE/RL's Ukrainian Service said one of its affiliate radio stations in Donetsk was taken off the air by gunmen and replaced by a pro-Russian broadcaster.

-- The Kremlin said Ukrainian officials in Kyiv should hold talks with pro-Russian separatists on the results of the self-rule referendums, adding that it respected the "expression of the people's will."

-- Insurgents in eastern Ukraine said nearly 90 percent of voters backed self-rule in the votes.

*NOTE: Times are stated according to local time in Kyiv

07:41 9.5.2014

Early morning in #Odessa lots of police in the empty streets. Looks like the new police chief is doing everything to prevent violence today
— Petr Shelomovskiy (@stopnarcotics) May 9, 2014

07:44 9.5.2014

US will run series of military drills with elite special op forces in Estonia,Latvia & Lithuania scheduled this month http://t.co/9ibqpYtv32
— Ryskeldi Satke (@RyskeldiSatke) May 9, 2014

US-NATO air presence tripled in Estonia,Latvia & Lithuania since Russian invasion of Ukraine https://t.co/J7WDYZPoqL pic.twitter.com/qoMdrCwVfV
— Ryskeldi Satke (@RyskeldiSatke) May 9, 2014

07:46 9.5.2014

"#Donetsk People's Republic" insist logistics in place for Sunday referendum. Voting to be held in hospitals, schools, official buildings.
— Douglas Herbert (@dougf24) May 9, 2014

07:47 9.5.2014

This has just been tweeted by the BBC's Daniel Sandford in Sevastopol:

A huge turnout with an hour still to go to the first parade. pic.twitter.com/i2Cg7tjp3W
— Daniel Sandford (@BBCDanielS) May 9, 2014

08:05 9.5.2014

Ukraine refuses Russian demand for advance gas payment http://t.co/2PyKlmXfv9
— bruce springnote (@BSpringnote) May 9, 2014

08:12 9.5.2014

On Red Square the open top Zils are ready for Russia's military bosses. Victory Day parade this morning. pic.twitter.com/HzK6Z6CrGA
— Steve Rosenberg (@BBCSteveR) May 9, 2014

08:19 9.5.2014

Here's RT's live feed of the Victory Day celebrations in Moscow:

08:26 9.5.2014

It seems Putin kept things short in his Victory Day speech to the crowd in Moscow.

Among the things he said was that strong will of the Russian people, their resilience, saved Europe from slavery.

He also said Victory Day is a source of patriotism, sorrow, and pride for the Russian people.

08:27 9.5.2014

Sejrsdag 9. maj. Putin holder kort tale på den Røde Plads. Og så: det store våbenshow. pic.twitter.com/CiufTqx9Dx
— Simon Kruse (@crusoes) May 9, 2014

08:47 9.5.2014

In contrast to red square, Kiev celebrations as muted as possible. Desperate to avoid violence that would appear on Russian TV.
— Richard Carter (@rdcberlinAFP) May 9, 2014

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Live Blog: Crisis In Ukraine (Archive)